Key Takeaways
- Daniil Medvedev defeated Nikoloz Basilashvili in three sets to successfully defend an ATP title for the first time in 20 attempts.
- The victory in Almaty moved Medvedev up to fifth place in the race to the ATP Finals, overtaking Flavio Cobolli.
- Only Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz and Ben Shelton have officially secured spots for Turin, with Jannik Sinner sidelined by a knee injury.
Medvedev breaks title defence drought in Kazakhstan
Daniil Medvedev has bolstered his push to reach the year-end ATP Finals after retaining his trophy at the Almaty Open. The Russian bounced back from losing an opening tie-break against Nikoloz Basilashvili to secure a 6-7(6), 6-1, 6-3 victory, marking his fourth tour-level title of the 2026 campaign.
The triumph brought particular personal significance for Medvedev, representing the first time in 20 attempts that he has successfully defended an ATP tournament crown. He pointed to his resilience after recovering from the opening set.
Reflecting on the contest afterwards, Medvedev explained that he stayed calm despite falling behind: “Yeah, it was not easy but I had my chances in the first set, got a bit unlucky on the 30-40 and then on the tie-break.”
The former US Open champion was confident that his opportunities would arrive as the encounter unfolded.
“So, I knew that I would probably have my chances to turn this match around and that’s what I managed to do and I managed to win of course,” Medvedev noted.
The race for the remaining places in Turin
With only 3 weeks remaining before the season-ending championship in Turin, just 3 competitors have mathematically secured their spots: Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz and Ben Shelton. World number 2 Jannik Sinner will not participate as he rehabilitates an ongoing knee issue.
By defending his 250-level title, Medvedev collected crucial points that pushed him above Flavio Cobolli into 5th place in the standings. Arthur Fils also made progress within the qualification zone, moving ahead of Frances Tiafoe following a semi-final run in Brussels.
Cobolli was unable to stay ahead of Medvedev after falling in the semi-finals in Lyon, while several contenders outside the top 8, including Alex de Minaur, Novak Djokovic and Taylor Fritz, remain in contention.
| Position | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alexander Zverev (Qualified) | 9150 |
| 2 | Jannik Sinner (Not playing) | 7950 |
| 3 | Carlos Alcaraz (Qualified) | 4600 |
| 4 | Ben Shelton (Qualified) | 4480 |
| 5 | Daniil Medvedev (+1) | 3660 |
| 6 | Flavio Cobolli (-1) | 3640 |
| 7 | Arthur Fils (+1) | 3425 |
| 8 | Frances Tiafoe (-1) | 3380 |
| 9 | Rafael Jodar | 3159 |
| 10 | Alex de Minaur | 2880 |
| 11 | Novak Djokovic | 2840 |
| 12 | Taylor Fritz (+1) | 2695 (2780 with Lyon title) |
Medvedev now heads directly to the Vienna Open, another event he has claimed in the past, where he will meet Spain’s Daniel Merida in the opening round as the regular season reaches its decisive phase.
ATP Vienna - Daniil Medvedev's projected path
Daniil Medvedev in 2026
Now the world no.5, Daniil played his last match on the 25th of October when he beat world no.128 Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-7 6-1 6-3 in the final in Almaty to win his 24th career title.
Presently, during this year the Russian has managed to achieve an overall 50-18 match record. Daniil clinched 4 titles in 2026 in Brisbane, Dubai, Hangzhou and Almaty.
